Another list of turkey hunting tips! I keep having to re-learn some of these every season. But a pre-season reminder of the basics is always needed, so hope this helps.
Sitting under an oak in April as the woods goes from dark to graylight is actually such a life-giving experience. I will die on the hill that there is nothing better for your brain than hearing birds, seeing the color green, and experiencing the woods waking up.
I haven’t built the skills necessary to identify every spring warbler and vireo that passes through the dogwoods in the springtime woods by their song, but I do cheat and pull out the Merlin app. Birds that I wasn’t even aware of migrating through this state were sitting feet above me proclaiming their good mornings.
At least there’s one bird you don’t need to rely on good ol’ Merlin for: the wild turkey. You might spend days on end with ears peeled listening for gobbles. The Gobble is a Good Turkey Noise. There’s also a Bad Turkey Noise: the Put.
Just about every year, I am sorry to report I hear anywhere from 2 to 10 Put’s, indicating one thing: I screwed something up, and it’s bye-bye for that bird. The worst part is, it’s usually because I did something I should have known better not to do, and have learned these lessons over and over again. The purpose of this list of turkey hunting tips is to (hopefully) drive these points home so my Put count can be minimized this season.
Turkey Hunting Tips: Pre-season Reminders
- If he’s gobbling on the other side of a small creek, he might not be as hung up as you think he is. Be patient. Turkeys can and will cross small creeks.
- Turkeys can see a really long way from their roosts. Even in the woods. It’s actually crazy. Be careful approaching and drawing attention to yourself when they’re still on the roost.
- If you and your hunting partner are on a bird and he hasn’t gobbled for a while, make dang sure your partner is ready for you to stand up before you do. This is a sure fire way to scare away a quiet bird that they’re watching and waiting for a shot opportunity on.
- Keep the face on the gun when shooting turkeys. If you miss, you probably shot over top of the bird by watching the bird’s movements instead of having your face down.
- If a hot gobbler goes quiet, stay put. It’s without fail that the second you stand up, you will hear The Put from the approaching bird. Be patient.
- Patience kills. Most of the time.
- Keep your turkey vest organized and know where your extra shells are.
- If you are sounding like hot garbage on the diaphragm call today, it’s ok to switch to a slate or box call. No need to continue sounding like garbage for no good reason.
- Check your open areas during rainstorms. I have also heard turkeys shock gobble at thunder.
- Don’t forget your face mask and gloves!
- Midday hunts can be phenomenal, especially if the gobblers were on hens in the morning. Lots of turkeys meet the TSS after 10 AM.
- Pre-unwrap your snacks out of their crinkly loud wrappers and put them in something quiet. Maybe the turkey won’t hear your Rice Krispie treat foil sounding like a firecracker in the woods, but maybe he will.
All of the above tips are based on true stories. I have lived laughed loved and learned through many Bad Turkey Noises. But hopefully a little pre-season reminder of turkey hunting tips will lead to the Good Shotgun Noise. Primary wing feathers crossed!
